God’s Acre on the Go

Making Room for the Spirit

Before the flames. Before the rushing wind. Before the miracle of understanding across languages—there was waiting. In this Pentecost message, we reflect on Acts 2 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202&version=NRSVUE] and the surprising truth that the church began not with certainty or strategy, but with prayerful uncertainty and openness to the Holy Spirit. The disciples did not fully know what would happen next. They simply stayed together, waited, listened, and trusted. As churches today wrestle with change, discernment, and an uncertain future, this sermon explores the difference between planning and true spiritual discernment. Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit often moves not after we have clarity, but while we are still waiting. This message is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, remain open to surprise, and trust that God is still guiding the church forward—just as the Spirit has done for generations.

Feasting on the Word

In this message, “Feasting on the Word,” we explore John 6:1–15, 35 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%206%3A1%E2%80%9315%2C%2035&version=NRSVUE] and the deeper meaning beneath one of Jesus’ most remembered miracles. While the crowd in the wilderness was physically hungry, John’s Gospel points toward another kind of hunger—the hunger of the human soul. Connecting Jesus to Moses, manna in the wilderness, and the promise of “a prophet like Moses” from Deuteronomy 18:15 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2018%3A15&version=NRSVUE], this sermon reflects on Jesus as both the “Word made flesh” and the “Bread of Life.” Scripture is not simply information to study—it is nourishment that feeds courage, hope, resilience, and faith. Through personal stories, reflections on Christian formation, and encouragement for families, this message invites listeners to move beyond “spiritual snacks” and instead feast regularly on the life-giving Word of God.

Built for Good

What does it mean to be “built for good” in a world that often feels harsh, divided, and exhausting? In this Mother’s Day message, we turn to 1 Peter 3:8–17 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%203%3A8%E2%80%9317&version=NRSVUE], a letter written to early Christians trying to remain faithful during a time of fear and persecution. Rather than responding to cruelty with more cruelty, Peter calls them to bless instead of curse, to confront evil with goodness, and to remain rooted in the way of Jesus. The sermon explores how this kind of steadfast goodness is often witnessed most clearly in mothers and caregivers—those who continue to nurture, protect, forgive, and show up even when life is difficult. Connecting the biblical idea of tov (“good”) from Genesis to everyday acts of love and endurance, this message reflects on how faithful goodness reveals both our deepest purpose and the heart of God. Because when we continue to do good under pressure, we become witnesses to hope in a hurting world.

Love Lived

Why is it that we so often wait until the end of a life to say what has been true all along? In this sermon, we begin with a childhood memory of a wake—where grief and love filled the room, and stories of a life well-lived were spoken with clarity and urgency. That moment becomes a lens for exploring Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:34-40 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2022%3A34-40&version=NRSVUE], when he is asked to name the greatest commandment. His answer—love God and love your neighbor—isn’t new, but it is essential. Drawing from Deuteronomy and Leviticus, Jesus points back to a way of life that had always been at the center, yet so often gets lost in distraction, division, and routine. This message invites us to reconsider love not as a feeling we reserve for certain moments, but as a daily practice—one that shapes how we listen, speak, and show up for one another. What would it look like to live that way now, rather than waiting until it’s too late?

Bad News, Good News

We live in a world filled with bad news—division, conflict, and discouragement. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or tempted to tune it all out. But what if the answer isn’t escaping reality… but living differently within it? In this message, “Bad News, Good News,” we turn to Acts 2:43–4:22 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202%3A43%E2%80%934%3A22&version=NRSVUE] and the story of the early church—a small, ordinary group of people who chose to live fully in the way of Jesus. They shared what they had, cared for one another, and witnessed boldly to a new way of life. And through that commitment, real healing happened—even in the face of resistance and trouble. This sermon challenges us to move beyond a comfortable, minimal faith—what one writer called “$3 worth of God”—and instead embrace a faith that transforms us and the world around us. Because the good news isn’t just something we believe—it’s something we live.